Everywhere You Go Sports Venues Are Under Attack

As a devout fan, not just of sports, but of sports architecture as well, I long to see the day when we have a proper system for reusing old sports venues when they are replaced by new sports venues. I've been labeled a "stadium hugger" by many, and my dream is to one day be a lobbyist for both old and new sports facilities.

These past 3 years, I've had the privilege of getting to travel all across the U.S and Canada. From Boston to Orlando to San Antonio and to Seattle, I have been to many sites where ballparks, arenas, and stadiums once stood and to locations where they might be in the future.

The list of demolished sports venues is way too long for me to list in this thread and the sad part about it is that most of them had many viable reuse options presented for them. I certainly hope Roberts Stadium isn't added to this list.

The great thing about the scenario we have been placed in with Roberts Stadium is that we the people of Evansville have a golden opportunity to send a message to the rest of the globe that demolition of a historic sports venue isn't necessary until any and all reuse options are considered.

The past month we have saved one facility ( Maple Leaf Gardens- Toronto, ON), lost one facility ( The Spectrum- Philadelphia, PA), and put one on life support ( Mellon Arena- Pittsburgh, PA). Ironically enough, SMG, who runs Roberts Stadium, managed most of these facilities as well, like Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh: http://www.mellonarena.com/site.php.

I am attaching the following three articles to give you a perspective on what is going on around the U.S (and Canada) with activits who want to see old sports facilities reused and not demolished....

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jan/20/no-headline---20a0xcomment2/

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Roberts Stadium could be useful.
Old arenas can find new uses

NEAL THOMAS SPECIAL TO THE COURIER & PRESS
Evansville Courier & Press
Posted January 20, 2011

As a farmer, I have attended and occasionally exhibited at the North American International Livestock Exhibiton since it moved to Louisville's Freedom Hall complex in the 1970s.

While watching the Shorthorns in November, I saw Charlie Tyra's jersey still among those Louisville Cardinal uniforms preserved in the rafters, even though the team moved to a new downtown arena this year.

When I mentioned this to my fellow University of Evansville Mac's Boys at the Maryland-Eastern Shore game this season, it brought back vivid memories for all of us who played there in 1955 in the month Freedom Hall was opened.

Hugh Ahlering led us freshmen on what seemed like a quarter-mile trip from our dressing room to courtside, just as he would lead those of us still playing as seniors to UE's first national championship.

As walk-ons, Hugh and I never played in a gym bigger than the Armory and here we were on our first college road trip in the finest new facility in the nation. All of us remember being awed, but Jerry Clayton. Tyra was national player of the yer during his career, but Jerry dominted him just as easily as he did us freshmen every day in practice.

I don't think any of us realized at the time that Roberts Stadium would open the next year as just as impressive a place to play basketball.

Today, Freedom Hall is the centerpiece of the Kentucky Fair Exposition Center. People come there from all over for its year-round schedule of events.

Roberts Stadium is ducking the wrecking ball. The major problem seems to be the water table hit when the floor was sunk a few feet in the last renovation. On the farm, we would solve that problem quickly.

Take out the lower row of seats, put in something like a French drain, backfill the seep area until it is solid and re-establish the useful surface near its original level. Surely, then, creative minds could find a multitude of uses for Roberts, just as people of Louisville have for Freedom Hall.

Neal Thomas in resident of Richland, Ind.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612111114848276.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_lifestyle

Last-Minute Gift Ideas: Old Stadiums
Some of These Facilities That Sit Mostly Idle Could Possibly Be Had for a Reasonable Sum.

By HANNAH KARP


Associated Press
The Pontiac Silverdome is shown last month.

Most sports fans assume that once a stadium or arena is replaced by a newer model, the old house is immediately blown to smithereens in a pyrotechnics show that would make James Cameron proud. But many more than you think are still around. Some have historical value, while others are still bringing in funds to cash-strapped municipalities. Who knows, some may even be available to well-heeled holiday shoppers looking for a last-minute gift. Here are a few:

Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Mich.

Thirty-five years after taxpayers spent $56 million to build it, this domed stadium, once home to the NFL's Detroit Lions and NBA's Pistons, was auctioned off last month for $583,000 to the highest bidder—a developer from Toronto. After several lawsuits, the deal is expected to go through this month because the city can no longer afford to maintain it. The developer, Andreas Apostolopoulos, spent last week in Pontiac and says he is in discussions with Major League Soccer to bring a team to the Detroit area. He says the stadium might not be quite the bargain it appears, given the amount he'll have to invest to bring the facility up to speed. "There's a lot of work to do first," he says.

Reliant Astrodome, Houston

The world's first domed sports stadium, the Astrodome was nicknamed the "Eighth Wonder of the World" when it opened in 1965 to house baseball's Astros and football's Oilers. But since the Astros moved into Minute Maid Park (née Enron Field) for the 2000 season, after the Oilers had already decamped for Tennessee for the 1997 season, the city has spent millions over the years on basic upkeep even though the dome has no major tenants. After plans fell through to convert the facility into a hotel and convention center, there are groups lobbying to turn it into everything from a movie studio to a planetarium.

Pyramid Arena, Memphis, Tenn.


Associated Press
The Pyramid in Memphis shown in early 2008.

Opened in 1991, this 20,000-seat arena on the banks of the Mississippi—one of the world's 10 largest pyramids—housed the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies and the University of Memphis men's basketball team until both moved to the FedEx Forum in 2004. Shelby County, which sold its half share in the arena to the City of Memphis this year, has considered refashioning the pyramid as a casino or an aquarium. A local congressman suggested opening a new branch of the Smithsonian Institution. Sporting-goods outfitter Bass Pro Shops is renting the pyramid for $35,000 a month with plans to convert it into a megastore, but a spokesman says the company won't purchase the building.

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington

Former home of both the Redskins and baseball's second Senators franchise, which moved to Texas to become the Rangers after the 1971 season, the 48-year-old RFK hasn't been able to hook a new team for long despite $18.5 million in renovations for baseball's Nationals, which played there from 2005 through 2007. Critics pronounced it one of baseball's worst stadiums on account of its cramped quarters and awkward layout. The resident DC United soccer team hopes to have a new home by 2012.

Balboa Stadium, San Diego

Built in 1914, this facility housed the Chargers during some of their winningest years from 1961 to 1966 and hosted three American Football League championship games during that period. Now owned by the city of San Diego and leased to the local school district, the stadium has fallen into such disrepair that many soccer players and runners fear injury on the worn-down track and torn-up turf. The city and district have said they can't afford renovation.

Olympic Stadium, Montreal


Associated Press
Montreal's Olympic Stadium in 2001.

Designed for the 1976 Olympic Games by ambitious French architect Roger Taillibert, this structure—which was part of a $1.5 billion project that was just paid off a few years ago—has been plagued by problems since its inception, thanks to labor strikes, fires and a host of structural snafus. The inclined tower—now the highest in the world—wasn't finished in time for the Olympics, nor was the retractable roof, which proved unstable in high winds even when it was completed a decade later. Part of the roof collapsed before the Montreal auto show in 1999. Once home to baseball's Expos, a soccer team and the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes, the stadium was used this month for a swine-flu-vaccination clinic.

Beijing National Stadium, Beijing

This stadium, built for about a half billion dollars before the 2008 Olympic Games and better known as the "Bird's Nest," was transformed into a snow park this month, much to the chagrin of environmentalists who say creating the artificial snow is a waste of water, especially given the continuing drought in the area. The snow festival is one of only a handful of events the stadium has hosted since the Olympics. With annual operating costs of roughly $10 million, the facility was placed under government management in August to curb financial losses.

Alamodome, San Antonio

Opened in 1993, the nearly $200 million arena was forsaken seven years ago by the NBA's Spurs, fans of which complained of poor views from many seats in the designed-for-football stadium. (The Spurs now play in the AT&T Center). In 2005 the San Antonio City Council voted to spend close to $6.5 million to renovate the arena to lure a Major League Soccer franchise to the city, but it soon abandoned that plan, and the city hopes to someday draw an NFL team. One of Texas' least-utilized stadiums, it hosted the New Orleans Saints for a few games in 2005 when they were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The stadium's bread and butter is playing host each year to college football's Alamo Bowl, which this season will feature Texas Tech against Michigan State.

The Forum, Inglewood, Calif.

Home of the Los Angeles Lakers and NHL's Kings until both moved to the Staples Center in 1999, this circular, $16 million arena was purchased by the Faithful Central Bible Church in 2000, though the church stopped holding regular services in the arena earlier this year. The church's Web site states "WE ARE AVAILABLE" for film shoots and rehearsal space; earlier this year the Lakers played a preseason game in the Forum to celebrate the team's 50th season in Los Angeles. The arena also has hosted big health clinics for low-income families.

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http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/10/the_maple_leaf_gardens_makeover/

The Maple Leaf Gardens makeover
Posted by Derek Flack / October 19, 2010



Renovations on Maple Leaf Gardens steadily continue as construction crews try to meet a projected spring 2011 completion date of the joint Loblaws and Ryerson facility. As part of a deal that provided the project with a sum of $20-million from Canada's Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the makeover of the original six arena must be finished by March 31, 2011.



As Greg Alexander, one of the principal architects on the renovation, told the Star in March, that's "a very challenging time frame." So work has been ongoing since funding was secured without a whole lot of time to spare. As of mid-May, the north and south stands had been removed, the structure of the building had been reinforced, much of the east and west seating had been removed, and the rink bed had been removed to allow for work on underground parking. At this time, Ryerson and BBB Architects / Stadium Consultants International also released plans that reveals what the finished product might look like, including a cross-section of the new facility.



As of the most recent photo below, a considerable amount of the parking level has been built and it would appear that no stands remain in place (though admittedly not all sides of the building are visible). There's obviously still a lot of work left to be done, but here's a photographic timeline of what's happened up to the beginning of the month.

Nuit Blanche 2008 (for reference)


Photo by Salsavaders.

December 2009

Photo by Big Blue Toe Productions.

January 2010



Photos from Ryerson and Loblaw Companies Limited.

March 2010

Photo by ThePerkyCarrot.

August 2010

Photo by Loozrboy.


Photo by tanjatiziana.

October 2010

Photo by Chris Schafer.

Architectural renderings from Ryerson University / BBB Architects / Stadium Consultants International

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Our First City Council Candidate That Supports Saving Roberts Stadium

Today has been yet another great day both for Evansville and Roberts Stadium. Today, Rick Davis filed for the office of Mayor. I was at the filing and I was not alone. Many people were there today because they feel like Rick is finally the change that will bring great things for Evansville and I couldn't agree more. Rick is 110% behind saving Roberts Stadium (which the only other candidate Lloyd Winnecke is against) and words cannot express how grateful I am to him for that.

I am now thrilled to report that Save Roberts Stadium has now received a full commitment from a City Council candidate to pledge to save Roberts Stadium. His name is Al Lindsey and he is running for the City Council 6th Ward seat. I talked to Al tonight on the phone and I am truly convinced that he is not just a good candidate or a great candidate, but he is the perfect candidate for the 6th Ward (which is my district).

Al will listen to the people on what they would like to see at Roberts Stadium. He, like me, Rick Davis, and all of you, have many,many,many fond memories of Roberts Stadium and rejects the notion that demolition is the best option.

Al liked the plan that I am currently working on for Roberts Stadium and he said he believes my funding plan for Roberts Stadium is a good base to build off of. There is no doubt in my mind that Al will make sure the people are heard and we will save Roberts Stadium.

I cannot express how optimistic I am about the future of both Roberts Stadium and the city of Evansville since Rick and Al have come forward to help move Evansville in the correct direction.

Since I started this blog, I have received nothing but pushback from city hall, the ECVB, and anyone affiliated with these organizations. If city hall were filled with leaders like Rick and Al, those days would be gone and we could accomplish so much more.

2011 is going to be a big year for Evansville and Roberts Stadium. This year will determine what becomes of Roberts Stadium, thus it is important to put the right people in office.

For this reason, Save Roberts Stadium endorses Al Lindsey for the 6th Ward City Council seat!

My New Save Roberts Stadium Youtube Video Is Up

Hot off the press, I have just unveiled my second youtube video. This one, which took me over a week to work on, focuses solely on Roberts Stadium and the current situation it is in. Take a look and let me know what you think about it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpRvIoiyu8Y

History Repeats Itself! Before Save Roberts Stadium It Was Save The Coliseum

Late one night, I decided to dig through the archives of the Courier & Press to see how the Roberts Stadium issue played out in the years before construction.

For anyone interested in looking through Evansville's history, please visit this site: http://local.evpl.org/ - It is the best site for looking up the history of Evansville.

As I was digging through the archives, I found some very interesting news stories. Apparently, history has repeated itself. Before, my "Save Roberts Stadium" initiative, there was a "Save the Coliseum" initiative. This group, which was the Conrad Baker Foundation (first person from this area to be governor) believed that it was in the best interest of our city to maintain the historic Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Coliseum. Here is the news clip...

Note: These clippings are very small on this site, you can view them directly by copy and pasting the links on top of them or by clicking on the clippings themselves.

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940172



As Roberts Stadium was being planned, city leaders went out of their way to seek alternative reuses for the Coliseum instead of just jumping to the early conclusion of demolishing it. In fact, H.O Roberts himself believed the Coliseum should have been an office building annex of the Old Courthouse...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940099


However, city officials were also exploring the idea of simply scaling the Coliseum back to an auditorium size facility...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940297


In the end, they elected to go with the auditorium plan because as city officials were planning for Roberts Stadium, they were wanting a sportscenter designed like a fieldhouse (Roberts Stadium), an auditorium (which is what the coliseum became), and some museum buildings (not sure if anything materialized from that)...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940557


You want to know how eerily similiar the current Roberts Stadium situation is to the Coliseum situation of the past? Even the Jehovah Witness' were involved in the Coliseum situation...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=946157


After the Coliseum was scaled back to an auditorium, it became a huge success...
http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940197


But then, the coliseum ran into danger again. In 1967, several city officials began questioning the viability of the Old Courthouse next door. In fact, they believed that demolition was the best option...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=952756


Luckily, the Conrad Baker Foundation stepped in...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=952764


They were given one year to come up with a plan, and indeed they found a plan well within that time frame...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=951539


Although the old courthouse and old jail were saved (partially because of the Conrad Baker Foundation, partially because the Old Courthouse had stones that were too expensive to demolish), it opened up the questioning about the Coliseum once more. The Old Courthouse, Old Jail, and Coliseum were all on the same heating and cooling system and by 1970, the Coliseum began showing its age again...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940101


Five years before, even the ghosts of the Old Wabash & Erie Canal (it should be redug in my opinion) were after the Coliseum...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=949388


Thankfully, the Coliseum had supporters once more. This time, the local veterans stood up for the historic building...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=940136


It is with great pleasure that I can tell you that all of the Old Courthouse, Old Jail, and the Coliseum STILL STAND TODAY!

So with that being said, what lessons can we learn this time around...

1. Many people were against the construction of Roberts Stadium because they feared it would run the Coliseum into the ground. That wasn't true. Roberts Stadium has brought all kinds of legends, events, and tournaments to town that would have never came if we would have stuck with the Coliseum only. Furthermore, could you imagine if the Aces were still playing in the Coliseum? The new arena is a massive step in the right direction for both the Aces and the city of Evansville and we must support it.

2. With Roberts Stadium opening up, many feared that the Coliseum would become a "white elephant." While the Coliseum isn't a major cash cow today, I think it's safe to say we are all better off for having this great and historic venue still in our city (as well as the courthouse and jail). There's nothing greater than going through that part of downtown. Furthermore, it still hosts events today. Several years ago my high school prom was there and I'm sure most others who went to school around here can say the same thing. We must realize that saving Roberts Stadium is the proper thing to do as well and it will not compete with the new arena.

3. Fixing the Coliseum was simple. All they did was scale it back. With Roberts', all we have to do is raise the floor back up a few feet and we can host many events and teams that will never be able to afford the new arena but need something bigger than the Coliseum.

4. Evansville wins when city leaders work with us not against us. As you read through those articles, you will notice that the Mayor, the city and county councils, the commissioners, and the Chamber of Commerce all came together to help (not fight) the Conrad Baker Foundation(Save the Coliseum) to find a solution to save the Coliseum and it worked! I'm asking all of these organizations to do the same for Roberts Stadium. We must work together for Evansville and Roberts Stadium.

5. Don't believe everything you hear. Many people were led to believe there was no saving the courthouse, jail, or Coliseum due to the aging condition of these buildings and the faulty systems going out in these facilities. However, there was a solution and the Conrad Baker Foundation/Save the Coliseum organization found it and IT WORKED! Don't think for a moment that we cannot Save Roberts Stadium.

6. We must do this right the first time. If we implement a duct tape solution for Roberts Stadium, we are going to find ourselves back to square one like the Coliseum group did 14 years after Roberts Stadium opened. We must find a solution that will make sure Roberts Stadium is good to go for many, many years to come.

Although it may seem like we are in unchartered territory with Roberts Stadium we are not. We are in a classic case of history repeating itself. The first time around, the people who wanted to save the Coliseum were on the right side of history, and it proved to be a success. Now, let's make sure we are on the right side of history again by saving Roberts Stadium!

Thank You H.O Roberts For Getting Roberts Stadium Built

(photo courtesy of the Evansville Courier & Press: http://www.courierpress.com/photos/galleries/2007/sep/30/roberts-stadium-build-or-renovate/2313/)

Through this whole debate of what to do with Roberts Stadium, I think it is very important not to forget the man who fought hard to get Roberts Stadium built so that we may enjoy this great historic building today. That man is H.O Roberts. In 1954, under Mayor H.O. Roberts, the city purchased from the state 56.88 acres at a cost of $88,086.50 with the expressed purpose of building a sports arena. Construction of the stadium was completed in 1956.

Yes, there has been a major renovation of Robert Stadium in 1990 and 1991 (that was done by Ralph Legeman who I will be talking about in a future post), but the steel roof, most of the bricks, and the soul of this great venue still stands today.

The following article, which was written by Evansville Living, tells us more about the great work that H.O Roberts put in to make sure that this venue was built.

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http://www.evansvilleliving.com/articles/hanks-tank

Hank’s Tank
by Louis La Plante / photos by Willard Library Archives Share

One year from now, the new stadium is expected to open Downtown — much to the chagrin of a vocal opposition, a few of whom dubbed the yet-unnamed project “The John” after Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, a major arena supporter. The 54-year-old Roberts Stadium, so beloved today, wasn’t well received when it first opened.

In the 1950s, the neon exterior sign for the arena with more than 10,000 seats simply said, “Stadium.” Disgruntled opponents nicknamed the new facility after the stadium’s biggest supporter, then-Mayor H.O. “Hank” Roberts, calling it “Hank’s Tank.”

Four years after the stadium opened, the next mayor, Frank McDonald, a Democrat, praised Roberts, a Republican, during an intermission of a local college basketball game in Hank’s Tank. McDonald acknowledged Roberts’ courage to build and proclaimed the unnamed venue Roberts Stadium. In attendance were 6,000 people, and as a newspaper article the next day claimed, those attendees came to see a basketball game but “cheered the loudest for a politician.”

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The most important thing to remember here is that H.O Roberts ended up losing the next election after the construction of Roberts Stadium. Although I'm not proud of Evansville's track record with politicians who fight to build sports venues, I am extremely proud of the dedication, determination, and passion H.O displayed by throwing his whole political career under the bus if it meant that Roberts Stadium would get built.

The great sacrifices that H.O made for Roberts Stadium are what give me the strength each day to get up and fight for Roberts Stadium no matter how controversial or unpopular that may be with city hall. I can honestly say that I have been here for this stadium even when it looked like the ball fields project was inevitable. It is with great pride that because of you the reader of this blog Roberts Stadium still stands today.

I also want everyone to know how fortunate we are to have 2011 Mayoral candidate Rick Davis. While others at city hall have acted like Roberts Stadium is a thorn in their side, Rick has boldy gone out on a limb to publicly support saving Roberts Stadium. Rick has great respect for the history of Roberts Stadium and the sacrifices that H.O made to ensure that she got built. We would be very honored to have Rick Davis, who is a modern day H.O Roberts, in office where we can be rest assured that Roberts Stadium will shine for many more years.

While it may seem like a never ending struggle to save Roberts Stadium, let us never forget H.O Roberts, who sacrificed his political career, so that Roberts Stadium would one day be built. His sacrifice must never be forgotten and we must elect more officials into office who have his passion.

Thank you H.O Roberts for building Roberts Stadium!


(photo courtesy of the Evansville Courier & Press: http://www.courierpress.com/photos/galleries/2007/sep/30/roberts-stadium-build-or-renovate/2313/)

Check Out My Youtube Video Endorsing Kleymeyer Park

This past week, I went over to the Garvin Park, Kleymeyer Park, and surrounding district to take some photos so that you the viewer of this blog will understand just why we need to build the baseball fields there.

We have a valuable asset in Bosse Field, just like we do with Roberts Stadium, but we cannot harness its full potential if we leave the district in the current shape it is in. This is our one chance to turn things around in that area. We cannot let these fields be built somewhere else and miss this big opportunity to revitalize the Bosse Field district.

After the current ball field plan failed, a few county council members said they would like the funds to be split between other parks. They listed a few but Kleymeyer and Garvin were not on the list.

Here is why I believe we should build these fields at Kleymeyer Park with a bridge linking them to Bosse Field...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAXp9aqclu4&feature=youtube_gdata

2011 Mayoral Candidate Rick Davis Supports Saving Roberts Stadium

A few weeks ago 2011 Mayoral Candidate Rick Davis came out in support of saving Roberts Stadium. Here is the link...

http://video.wnin.org/video/1681067634/



Since I am the cameraman for Newsmakers, I had a sneak peek about this, and I have been excited ever since.

My favorite quote from this interview was when Rick said...

"If you have a house that's paid for but which has a leaky basement, you don't tear down the house."

It was so refreshing to hear this. When I told Mayor Weinzapfel this he said that he believed that Roberts Stadium is, " worth nothing." When I talked with Commissioner Lloyd Winnecke about Roberts Stadium he said, " I don't believe the city can, or should, "save" Roberts Stadium."

Truthfully, I am at a loss for words at why city leaders are hellbent on tearing down a venue that HNTB is on record as saying the exterior is good, the steel structure is good, and there are no immediate repairs needed. Furthermore, the city spent $282,563 to FIX the water pump problem. HNTB has no estimated time table for the water pumps to go out because they are only 5 years removed from being completely repaired and they have shown no signs of breakdown. There isn't even a water problem with Roberts Stadium!

With Rick Davis, I am confident we will finally get a city leader who understands that you don't sit on your hands and wait for someone to come to you with a fully funded plan, you go do it yourself.

That's what our current leaders don't understand. They think that they should just sit there in their office and evaluate only the proposals that are put together by someone else and brought to them. In fact, many council members and wesselman park officials have also said that, " the ball field proposal was the only proposal on the table."

We are never ever going to get anywhere with Roberts Stadium, or any project here for that matter, if we don't work aggressively to find a solution for every one of our problems. Also, if we are not proactive in finding solutions, we will find ourself a dying town ( we just lost another 5,000 or so residents in the latest census).

In my opinion, Rick Davis demonstrated that he understands this concept when he said he would be active in putting together a plan to turn Roberts Stadium into a natatorium. Under the current crop of city leaders, a plan like that would never stand a chance because it will never put itself together and present itself on their desk. Furthermore, no resident can give them an exact figure for a project like this because they do not have access to important financial data like city hall does.

With Rick Davis, I am confident we will save Roberts Stadium because we will have a city leader who is willing to work with us not against us. If we go to him with ideas, he will explore them and find out what we can and can't do, which is the whole point of this blog.

Rick Davis wants to SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM, and for this reason we must put Rick in the mayor's office!

The Letters Keep Rolling In

These past few weeks, local residents have been writing letter after letter into the Courier & Press expressing their desire to save Roberts Stadium and have listed multiple reuse options for the historic facility. I have chosen the following three letters to the editor to show you 1. the public wants to reuse Roberts Stadium 2. they have great ideas for reusing it that need to be explored & 3. You the reader of this blog should do the same. Enjoy....

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/12/no-headline---127/

Turn Roberts Stadium into a disaster center

To the editor:

What looms in the future for Roberts Stadium?

None of us want to think in terms of a disaster, but it could happen in the event of earthquake, tornadoes or terrorist attack.

I see Roberts Stadium as a site for a designated place for an East Side disaster shelter. People know the location well. There is ample parking. The Red Cross is close by. St. Mary's Medical Center is not far away to treat injuries. For an added plus, Buehler's Buy Low grocery store is close as a source of food; Rural King is close by to furnish needed supplies.

There could be other uses for Roberts Stadium, along with being a designated disaster shelter. The parking lot has served as a collection site for Tox-Away Days.

In 1954, under Mayor H.O. Roberts, the city purchased from the state 56.88 acres at a cost of $88,086.50 with the expressed purpose of building a sports arena. Construction of the stadium was completed in 1956. It served us well and still has function.

There should be no competition with the new Downtown arena and Roberts Stadium. SMG could book events for both.

Berniece Tirmenstein

Evansville

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http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/16/no-headline---168/

Old stadium could be a conservatory

To the editor:

Was the conversion of Roberts Stadium into a conservatory with native plantings ever considered in the ball parks planning process? A three-dimensional conservatory and a reduced parking area surrounded by native grasses and wildflowers would complement Wesselman Woods.

The conversion could include skylights and vents in the roof, an overhead watering system that could help summer cooling by using it as a mist, retaining walls to hold earth fill where the seats are now located, and the removal of the under floor pumps with the addition of openings through the floor to connect earth fill with the water table.

A pond surrounded by taller trees could be at the lowest level with smaller trees at higher levels and plantings of grasses, wildflowers and agricultural crops in the "cheap seats" area.

Spiral paths would provide access to all levels. Suspended walkways could cross through tree tops at or above the scoreboard height.

Such a facility could be used as a living laboratory by biology students of all ages. When compared to events at the new arena, the conservatory would attract smaller groups of visitors on a daily basis. The conservatory would be a daytime facility with minimum impact on the surrounding wildlife.

Jim Lott

Newburgh

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http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/16/five-more-ideas-for-stadium-use/

COMMUNITY COMMENT: Five more ideas for stadium use

I have said since April that I am not against the ball fields that the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to build — just the location at Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium. The CVB has stated there are other locations that they have looked at. Build these fields at one of those locations and leave our park and Roberts Stadium alone.

Roberts Stadium could have several uses:

n Continue to book shows. There should be no competition between the arena and Roberts Stadium. After all, we are all for the financial success of both and we must work together for the good of our city.

n Schedule charity basketball games. For example, USI vs. UE. All proceeds would go to the city for the parks maintenance and improvement. These basketball games would also include women's leagues.

n Rehire the park rangers. If the mayor can find $1.5 millon for razing Roberts Stadium, why can't he use these funds for this purpose. Rehiring the park rangers hopefully will stop any of our children getting stuck with a hypodermic needle which happened in October at Sunset Park.

n Book monster truck shows, home shows and other events that would bring in revenue for the city.

n Disaster control central location for the East Side. I strongly believe that there should be a disaster control location on the West Side, the East Side and Downtown. With the new arena we will have one for Downtown and one for the East Side, but we still need one for the West Side.

Our elected officials should give this serious consideration. A lack of preparation could cost lives.

When a tornado strikes, we normally do not have much time to react. Normally these tornadoes occur at night. Knowing where to go makes things easier in all the confusion that we face during a disaster.

I call for all the politicians to put aside their disagreements and do what is best for our city.

Sherman K. Stevens is a resident of Evansville.

********************************************************************

KEEP THE LETTERS COMING!!!!

33 Years Later: Remembering "The Night It Rained Tears"

33 years ago today (Dec 13, 1977), the Evansville Aces men's basketball team suffered a devastating and tragic plane crash killing all on board the plane.

The effects of this tragedy have lingered through the Evansville community for years. It is my belief that whatever we put inside Roberts Stadium, we must and should place a new inspiring monument with the existing plaques and pictures in the main level recognizing the 1977 Aces.

Sometime during the day, please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to watch this great video made by Reitz High School and WNIN (both links go to the same place). It really does a great job putting into words and images how awful that day was...

http://www.feelthehistory.com/episodes/201/ue-video.html

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8928864611836543902#

As you can see from the video, Roberts Stadium played an important role in 1977. Roberts Stadium served as the main place of healing for those who had family and friends in the plane crash. For this reason, I am committed to fighting for this great venue. She was there for us, now it's time for us to be there for her!

Today, we remember the 1977 Evansville Aces men's basketball team.

Save Roberts Stadium in the Courier & Press

Today, this blog was featured in a news story about saving Roberts Stadium. I sat down with C&P reporter Dan Shaw last Thursday for this interview and I must say I am very impressed with his work. I am only going to give you a piece of the article, I would like for you to visit their website for the rest of it. Here's part of the article...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/dec/12/stadium-could-get-reprieve/

Roberts Stadium could get reprieve
Group hopes to save 54-year-old facility
By Dan Shaw

EVANSVILLE — When a crowd filled Roberts Stadium's seats last week to witness the University of Evansville Purple Aces' ill-fated attempt to beat the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, many in the audience no doubt believed it was a good time to bid a fond farewell to the 54-year-old venue.

With Evansville's new Downtown arena set to make the Aces its primary tenant soon after its opening in November 2011, and with a plan still under consideration to demolish the stadium to make room for baseball and softball fields, fans watching from the sides likely thought the chances slim that so many people would again gather under the stadium's roof.

Yet, in the midst of so much certainty about the impending demolition of Roberts Stadium, those who favor saving the old stadium have found new reason for encouragement.

The chief cause of their change in spirits is the news that members of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau — the driving force behind the campaign to build ball fields at Wesselman Park and the stadium site — are looking at undertaking the project elsewhere.

They say the Wesselman and stadium sites remain their preferences, but they can't continue with their previous plans without the support of local officials, which has been tepid.

Such nods to political realities have put new wind into the sails of Jordan Baer, a 25-year-old Evansville native who made his opposition to the demolition of Roberts Stadium public about five months ago by starting the website saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com.

Baer has used the blog to propose nine ways to reuse Roberts Stadium, including making it into a botanical garden, a natatorium complete with an Olympic-sized swimming pool or an indoor recreational center.

Baer said he recently pitched his ideas to Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. During that brief meeting, the mayor posed the same question he has asked of anyone who has come forward with a proposed reuse of the stadium: How will we pay for it?

Baer acknowledges he has no precise answer. But he thinks one would become evident if city officials would only set their sights on saving Roberts Stadium rather than demolishing it. He said he thinks private entrepreneurs would be interested in pursuing one of his ideas if they could enter into a partnership with the city.

Or, he said, city officials could draw the money needed to convert the stadium from the local innkeepers tax, which can go only to projects that hold promise of attracting tourists to Vanderburgh County.

The same innkeepers tax was to be the primary revenue source used for the ball fields proposed by the visitors bureau. Baer said the choice of a different site for that project — such as Kleymeyer Park — would make some of that money available for other proposals. A change in location, for one, would prevent the visitors bureau from having to go to lengths to protect the Wesselman Nature Preserve from pollution.

Wherever the money comes from, Baer says much less of it is needed than is commonly assumed. He noted that the figures usually bandied about as an estimated renovation cost for the stadium are, in fact, the estimated cost of making the stadium meet the standards of a modern arena.

In May 2008, The Gateway Group, a consulting firm hired by the city to study Evansville's need for a new arena, concluded that Roberts Stadium would never be a venue for ice hockey, certain concerts or other large events without an expenditure totaling between $38.2 million and $89.9 million. Given the price tag, Baer said he supports city officials' decision to build an arena Downtown.

But the same consultant's report, Baer notes, puts the price of keeping Roberts Stadium in its current condition at $12.8 million to $17.3 million. And of those costs, Baer thinks many can be avoided if the stadium is preserved for a modest use, although $3 million to $5 million likely will be needed to bring the building's restrooms into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Baer noted that the city found nearly $19.4 million to put toward a renovation of Roberts Stadium in 1990 and has since spent more than $1 million making further improvements to the building. With so much invested, he asked, why the rush to knock it down?

HNTB: "The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."

While we've been enjoying a bit of a reprieve from the ball fields project, I have been burning the midnight oil researching and analyzing documents pertaining to Roberts Stadium and its condition. Ever since city officials have began proclaiming that Roberts Stadium is unsavable and must be demolished, I have begun researching it just to prove what I've long suspected- that Roberts Stadium is perfectly fine.

First of all, I have already researched the consultant's study performed on Roberts Stadium once before. What I found was that Roberts Stadium has fallen victim to a lot of political spin which, in turn, has caused many local residents to give up on saving it.

Here is the post that talks about what I found the first time...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/rumors-of-roberts-stadiums-demise-has.html

Because I found so much information that pointed towards Roberts Stadium being inaccurately portrayed as unusable, I decided to start with this study once more in my next round of research.

To recap, the city of Evansville hired Gateway Consultants Group to study the idea of renovating Roberts Stadium or building a new arena downtown. As part of the report, they hired sports architects HNTB to research Roberts Stadium. Here it is again...

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf

The study indicated that it would be a bad idea to renovate Roberts Stadium because you would have to raze the entire roof and the costs would be almost identical to the costs of building a new one downtown. I agree with this decision because, if Roberts Stadium would have been renovated, just about anything historical left on the structure would have been demolished. Thus, you would basically be demolishing Roberts Stadium and building a new arena there in a creative way. Plus downtown needs the stimulus from this project.

The problem with the report is that it has been twisted so that many people believe that Roberts Stadium isn't reusable when in reality it just isn't reusable as a state-of-the-art modern arena.

So let's go back to the study again and see what it said about the condition of Roberts Stadium. This can be found on pages 119-133 of the report.

Page 124

"Overall, the exterior condition of Roberts Stadium appears good."

In other words, Roberts Stadium is not an eyesore. Every time I've ever gone to an Aces game, I've always been amazed by how clean the main level is. It isn't rundown in the least bit. For this reason, some leaders have resulted to scare tactics that talk about what Roberts Stadium would look like in the FUTURE if it's mothballed and unattended. If this stadium is mothballed, it will be their own fault. We clearly have a clean and presentable building to reuse as well as many reuse options.

Pages 125 & 126

In regards to the Central Plant

Water Cooled Chiller

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Cooling Tower Cells

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Flexible Water Tube Boilers

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Gas-fired Laars MightyMax Domestic Water Boiler With A Single Insulated Hot Water Storage Tank

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Single Dedicated PVI Gas-fired Tank Type Water Heater

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

It was noted that...

"Facility personnel reported that the central plant equipment was installed in 1990. Therefore, the equipment is nearing the end of their anticipated service life."

Unfortunately, I also believe this part to be true as well. Although it is not known what we will need and what we won't need to reuse Roberts Stadium yet, we will probably need the central plant in some capacity. The good thing though is this...

"Based on ASHRAE-established equipment service life, the central plant equipment would have the following remaining years of service: pumps would have approximately 3 years of life remaining; boilers would have approximately 8 years of life remaining; and chiller would have approximately 6 years of life remaining."

(Note: This study was performed in 2008)

This means that, although we will probably have to replace this system, we still have a few years left in the system and the part(s) maintenance is spaced out all the way to 2016 so we won't have to come up with a huge chunk of cash all at once.

In regards to the Arena Bowl

"The arena bowl is served by (2) large, built-up style air-handling units (AHU's) that are located on the (2) quadrant corners on the south end of the arena. These units provide heating, air-conditioning, and ventilation to the arena bowl.

Heating water and chilled water coils in each unit provide the heating and cooling for the arena.

The AHU's are in good condition overall. The insulation on the piping internal to the units is molded on the jacketing and should be replaced. The coils appear to be in good condition but should be cleaned."

The report also goes on to talk on page 126 about the water table pumps on the Arena Bowl but mentions nothing wrong with them.

In regards to the Loading Dock/ Marshalling Area

"There are limited mechanical systems serving this area. Two ducted suspended fan coil units provide space heating and cooling.

The HVAC equipment appeared to be in good working condition.

There were no operational or maintenance issues reported by facilities personnel."

So after evaluating all of the systems in the stadium what problems have we compiled? Piping insulation and a system that may need some parts replaced within the next 6 years? Not too daunting if you ask me. Let's move along...

Page 131

"The structural system for the roof is the original system built in 1956."

It's kind of ironic that preservation officer Dennis Au declared Roberts Stadium to no longer be historic ( http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/01/preservation-officer-roberts-no-longer-historical/ ) yet the main reason why Roberts Stadium cannot be renovated into a modern arena is because the original main steel structure is still there and it was not designed to hold enough weight for modern concerts or an extra level that would sit above modern luxury boxes and suites.

So in other words, Roberts Stadium cannot be renovated as an arena because it is too historic, yet it is not historic according to city officials. Go figure on that one!

Page 133

" The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."

This is the most important sentence in this entire report. The report admits that both the steel structure is the original structure from 1956 AND it is in great condition. Why would you demolish a steel structure that is both historic and in great condition? Makes no sense to me.

So now that we have looked at this study let's summarize what we have. We have...

- A clean and healthy exterior
- A historic and healthy steel structure
- A central plant system with only minimal repairs needed immediately and the rest is spaced out all the way to 2016 (the report suggests the total amount will only reach a maximum of $3-$4 million which is less than 1/4th of the ball field's projected price)

With all of those systems functioning just fine, what could be the problem? The only problem that anyone has ever suggested has been the water pumps. So now let's take a look at all the money that has been spent on repairing Roberts Stadium in the past to see if this problem has been addressed before...

http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net/main.asp?SectionID=31&subsectionID=276&articleID=39599

"In 2005, rising water beneath the stadium damaged the floor and electrical equipment. Engineers hired to investigate the cause determined that bacteria caused a sludge buildup that clogged the sump pipes. The city spent $282,563 to fix the flooding problem.

The stadium was reroofed in 2002 for $629,559. The repair came after a leak in the roof caused a rain delay at a University of Evansville basketball game.

In 2002, the stadium's parking lot, which has 3,590 spaces, was repaved for $363,648. That same year, the city paid $128,000 for a new sound system.

The city also spent $134,127 in 2003 for a stage upgrade. "We got new staging, and it's really good staging, one of the best brands out there," Moore said. "Our old stage was pretty beat up.""

So in case you're keeping tabs at home, the total amount of money spent on renovating Roberts Stadium and its parking lot since 2002 is $1,537,897. Why would you demolish something that you just stuck over $1.5 million into over the past 8 years?

Furthermore, $282,563 was spent to specifically fix the water pump problem (Peyronnin Construction did this I believe). If you go back to page 40 & 41 of the Gateway Consultant study, you will notice that only $300,000 is projected to fix the drainage problem at Roberts Stadium with nothing projected for new water pumps. After all, why would you turn around and fix something after you just fixed it 5 years ago? There is no need to fix the water pumps at this current time.

Overall, we have an arena that has been given a clean bill of health, for the most part, by HNTB largely because we just stuck over $1.5 million into the arena and its parking lot. There is no reason whatsoever to consider Roberts Stadium a rundown arena, a condemmned arena, or an arena of its last leg.

It's time to get serious and recognize that we can do something special with our historic arena. Let's Save Roberts Stadium!

Speak Up! Tell Us Your Opinion!

Today, I received the following email from my good friend Martha Crosley, director of the Wesselman Park Support Group...

TO ALL CITIZENS OF THE EVANSVILLE AREA WHO HAVE FELT THAT THEIR VIEWS ARE NOT HEARD –NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!

The Wesselman Park/Roberts Stadium baseball complex issue won’t die.
The CVB is still actively pushing it.

But there are those who are not standing still. Wesselman Park Support Group is establishing a committee of the public, business people, and office holders in the Evansville area who will meet to consider the possible uses for Roberts Stadium, its land, and funding for considered projects. These individuals are creative, informed, innovative, and most importantly want to listen to your ideas.

To express your opinions to this committee, please answer the following questions and email or send to the address below:
1. What is your best idea for the use of Roberts Stadium?
2. How would you propose to fund this idea?
3. If Roberts Stadium proves to have engineering or structural problems too big to overcome, how best would you like to see the land used?

Please be specific and email to: wesselmanroberts@gmail.com or send to Wesselman/Roberts, c/o Huppert, 2424 Stringtown Rd., Evansville, IN 47711

You MUST provide your name, address, and contact information for your views to reach the committee. We value your ideas and want you to be a part of the democratic process. Thanks in advance for your help. Tell
your friends and family so that everyone who wishes may take the opportunity to participate.

Here’s to slowing down the train! It is time to think and plan carefully. No further consideration should be given to the CVB until more data is gathered, more ideas reviewed, and more comparative plans are brought to the table. How do we know we have the best plan if we only have one?

Martha Crosley

This is our chance to voice our opinion on what we should do with Roberts Stadium! In the coming weeks, I will be working with the Wesselman Park Support Group to make sure everyone's voice is heard and we do the right thing to ensure that Roberts Stadium has an adequate reuse purpose and it buffers Wesselman Park from the city perfectly.

We have a lot of great things going for us in Evansville including the new downtown arena. Now is the time to step up with a successful plan to save Roberts Stadium, improve Wesselman Park, and build another asset for the city.

Please tell us what you think should be done along with your funding ideas. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Location,Location,Location... For Dunn Hospitality

Since the announcement came out this week from David Dunn, Joe Vezzoso, and the ECVB that they are now considering three to four new locations for the ball field's project that are ALL outside of the Evansville city limits ( http://www.14wfie.com/story/13583591/sports-complex-will-not-be-built-on-wesselman-parkroberts-stadium-property ), I have sat here in shock and awe (like I did when I first heard they wanted to demolish Roberts Stadium) at why they would consider doing that.

It just blows my mind why Dunn and Co. think building this complex outside of the Evansville city limits is a good idea. It brings up so many questions...

- Didn't Dunn just say that tourists want to be next to hotels, restaurants, malls, an urban setting, the community, etc, etc?
Slide 10: ( http://www.theparkevansville.com/downloads/files/09-15-2010_Evansville_Parks_and_Recreation_Board_Presentation.pdf )

- Why would Evansville residents be behind this project if it's not in their city limits?

- How could a location outside of the city limits bring in significant revenue to the city to justify the costs?

- Why would baseball and softball tournaments choose Evansville over any other city if it's fields don't have any urban proximity advantages over the other ball field complexes?

- Why would you consider these locations and not Kleymeyer Park for which I have provided an enormous amount of reasons for it to be considered?

I could go on and on about why it's a bad idea to put these fields outside the Evansville city limits just like I did when I first said it was a terrible idea to demolish Roberts Stadium and build these ball fields at Wesselman Park. However, the main thing I really want to know is: Why does Dunn and Co. keep picking bad location after bad location when there is a GREAT location at Kleymeyer Park?

To get this answer, we need to dig a little bit under the surface to find the true reason.

First, although we don't know all the exact locations of the new areas under consideration, we do know that EVCB Board Member Joe Vezzoso said this in the Channel 14 WFIE article...

Vezzoso would not identify what those other locations are, but he says they were sites his group looked at in the past, before setting on the Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium site.

Given that piece of information, we do know that Hamilton Golf Course and the Goebel Soccer Complex were both under consideration.

Hamilton Golf Course
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/jun/04/hamilton-tees-off-course-open-again-but-still/

A consultant hired by the county recommended last year that about 43 acres of the Hamilton Golf Course be converted into recreational facilities and soccer fields.

Don Schumacher & Associates Inc., a Cincinnati-based sports marketing, management and consulting company, recommended converting the nine-hole Red Course along both sides of Pigeon Creek into a recreational area. Others have said nine holes at the golf course could be leased to the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau for development of the softball and baseball complex that the bureau tried unsuccessfully to build at Wesselman Park.

Note: It was Schumacher who recommended the Roberts Stadium site to the ECVB

http://www.continentalcapitalcorp.com/business-news/evansville-visitors-bureau-board-rebuts-directors-statement

Vezzoso said the bureau’s board has long wanted to put the fields near Wesselman Park and Roberts Stadium. But members had to hold off from giving weight to that option until they knew where the new arena would be, he said.

The location was suggested by Don Schumacher & Associates, a consultant hired to study the county’s sports venues.

Goebel Soccer Complex

http://www.continentalcapitalcorp.com/business-news/evansville-visitors-bureau-board-rebuts-directors-statement

The company’s (Don Schumacher & Associates) other recommendations called for doubling the number of soccer fields at Goebel Soccer Complex from 10 to 20 and adding to the number of tennis courts at Wesselman Park.

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:VsmpT-WsbZYJ:www.evansvillegov.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx%3Fdocumentid%3D8275+kleymeyer+park+dump&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESigokCOXOpRgIpRcgeYQjVHyV0fSn_o_ckk5aSxAWN2GiETQsf5oOzxAlfQjYzzjyJAkmY0crzAbHhnZVxM-bI1MRWauHgWuPpP0hjyyddyaBu533joy3QKIm3L-ApuVKdo7wW6&sig=AHIEtbQqaWJ8KQq7J_jH7oQxS3R84aZt8A

Pages 12

Ms. Crosley asked Mr. Dunn what would be the second choice of location.

He stated that they would have to go out into the county and would begin probably looking around the Goebel Complex. There were a couple of sites that they had explored.

Ms. Crosley asked if being by the Goebel Complex would mean that they could coordinate with Goebel for parking and concessions and that type of thing.

Mr. Dunn stated that he assumed that would be possible. In their design, the concessions were in the center of each of the pods. The guests at their complex would have to walk over to the Goebel complex.

If you read on to page 13 of that document, you will notice that Dunn said he considered eight total locations. He also said he only considered Kleymeyer Park briefly because of the conditions from the dump ( which I talk about these conditions being an asset not a liability in this post: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html

So of all the eight locations under consideration as well as others nominated and/or recommended, why was Roberts Stadium his first choice, Goebel Soccer Complex his second choice, and the Hamilton Golf Course being presumably in his 3-4 new locations outside of Evansville?

For those of you who don't know, David Dunn is a part owner in his family owned business Dunn Hospitality which manages and operates several Evansville hotels as well as others across the region. The main reason that he is involved in this project is to make sure the hotel industry gets the greatest benefit from any project that uses the innkeepers tax that is taken from guests who stay at their hotels.

http://www.dunnhospitality.com/index.php

If you take a look at the hotel locations in their business (http://www.dunnhospitality.com/ourproperties.php), you will notice that there are three hotels out by I-164/Lloyd Expressway and one on South Green River Road. Furthermore, Dunn Hospitality recently took over a hotel on U.S 41 ( http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/oct/06/dun-hospitailty-announces-plans-airport-hotel/ ).

Surprise, Surprise, all three locations for the ball fields are either on the eastside or on U.S 41. No location on the westside or on the northside by Kleymeyer Park made Dunn's final cut down to two despite the fact that both of these areas have restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, parks, recreational activities, and desperately need the project as a stimulus program more than the east side.

It seems pretty obvious to me, the Roberts Stadium lot is the closest to Dunn's Green River hotel and I-64/Lloyd Expressway hotels. Thus, it was chosen as the first location going forward. After that, the Goebel Soccer Complex is the closest to these four hotels on the eastside. Yes, it is out in the rural northeast side of Vanderburgh County, but if a tourist from the complex is going to stay the night here the quickest and/or simplest routes to take are to go Green River Road to I-164 via Lynch Road to the Lloyd Expressway, go straight down Green River Road to Dunn's hotel, or take Green River Road to the Lloyd Expressway east bound.

Then, if those two destinations don't work out, there's always Hamilton Golf Course. Hamilton Golf Course, which is run by the Evansville Airport ( the same group that owns the land Dunn's U.S 41 hotel sits on), is literally right across the road from Dunn's U.S 41 hotel. Not to mention, it's not that much farther from Goebel Soccer Complex.

To pile on all of this, there was a study conducted for an indoor water park resort to go inside of Roberts Stadium yet the plan is all but dead currently. There was nothing in the study that said it wouldn't work here. Here is the study if you want to take a look yourself...

Go to page 134: http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf

So, what was the final recommendation (which wasn't inside this particular report) and why wasn't it investigated?

I don't believe David Dunn is a bad guy, I just think his plan is bad and I want to fix it by saving Roberts Stadium and building eight vintage MLB fields at Kleymeyer Park. While I'm glad that he has stepped forward to attempt to put together a plan (we need more people like that), I believe it is important that we get a second opinion from someone who wouldn't be biased towards placing the project within a road or two of their own hotels and doesn't have a hotel that would be a competitor of the proposed indoor water park resort.

If we are going to spend several million dollars on this project, we HAVE TO HAVE an unbiased director who is willing to give a good faith effort to study possible reuse options for Roberts Stadium first and foremost before considering demolition. The director MUST also consider other alternative locations for the ball fields that are around Evansville and inside the city limits and are best for the project itself, not just a particular hotel company.

There needs to be a public comment period where EVERYONE'S ideas are given fair consideration for REUSING Roberts Stadium, not just those who want to demolish it and build the ball fields at Wesselman Park simply because it's the best location next to their business. In my opinion, that would garner much more support than the way the current plan is being handled.

ROBERTS STADIUM IS SAFE!...... For Now

It is with GREAT pleasure to report that WFIE Channel 14 is reporting that the Roberts Stadium lot is FINALLY not going to be considered for the ball field's project. Here's the link...

http://www.14wfie.com/story/13583591/sports-complex-will-not-be-built-on-wesselman-parkroberts-stadium-property

Today is yet another great day for the Save Roberts Stadium movement. I'm extremely thrilled to see Roberts Stadium's future turn a little bit more to the bright side. I first want to thank you the reader of this blog for coming here and being active with this issue. The amount of people who have visited this site since its inception has been nothing short of amazing. I've thoroughly enjoyed the emails I have been getting with all kinds of ideas for Roberts Stadium. There's no doubt in my mind that the readers of this blog are the most passionate, creative, and active residents in Evansville. I ask that you continue with these efforts as we still have a long way to go.

These past 24 hours have been great just knowing that 8 basic and dull ball fields will not occupy the current ground that historic Roberts Stadium sits on. Too many great moments have occurred at Roberts Stadium to compromise its history for these dull and short sighted fields. We have many many great and viable ideas for Roberts Stadium and I thank you the viewer for shoving them in the face of city officials who would love nothing more than to make these ideas vanish.

In regards to the ball fields themselves, I want the record to show just how disappointed I am with David Dunn and the ECVB. I posted numerous times on this blog my openness and willingness to want to work with Dunn to build the 8 best ball fields money could buy.

I still insist that these fields MUST be built at Kleymeyer Park where they could take full advantage of the methane gas to produce electricity, they MUST be built to replicate 8 vintage MLB fields, and they MUST work hand-in-hand with Bosse Field and the Evansville Otters to schedule championship women's (and men's too) softball tournaments to commemorate the movie " A League of Their Own."

I have presented this plan in front of Dunn and the EVCB at a County Council meeting and I have emailed them countless times with my plan. Unfortunately, they do not want to take me up on my offer, despite the fact that I am willing to work day and night at no taxpayer expense to get this project done. I am very disappointed that Mr. Dunn and the ECVB have chosen to ignore me and the ideas that I bring to the table. I ask that they reconsider this decision.

I'm also extremely disappointed to hear ECVB Executive Director Joe Vezzoso say that the 3-4 current sites they are looking at putting the ball fields on are outside the city limits. This is a TERRIBLE idea and I will be speaking out against each of these sites in future posts on this blog. We MUST put these fields inside the city limits and at Kleymeyer Park where they will have a competitive advantage and stimulate the area around them.

With all of that being said, we still have a terribly long way to go with saving Roberts Stadium as well. Roberts Stadium's future is still very much in doubt given that it has become quite apparent that city officials will do anything they can to find a way to demolish it.

I also found the statements by the ECVB in this recent article from the City-County Observer to be extremely disturbing...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/11/30/evansville-convention-and-visitors-bureau-disappointed-that-ball-fields-project-did-not-garner-support/

"Joe Vezzoso (Executive Director of the ECVB) said that the money in the budget could be used to reduce the Inn Keepers tax. If nothing is done it will cost the City $400,000 per year to maintain Roberts Stadium..."

Ah, so the costs of maintaining Roberts Stadium have gone from under $300,000, to $300,000, then to $390,000, and now up to $400,000? I find it very interesting that these costs keep magically rising when the stadium is still in operation today. Where are these estimated costs on a balance sheet (I sure hope there aren't any more half-truths going on here again!)? Does anybody really know how much it would cost to mothball Roberts Stadium? And why does the ECVB and other city officials insist on mothballing it after the new arena opens? You're telling me that there are no events like the Home Show or the Boat Show that you could stick in there a few days of the year to offset its costs? This is purely ridiculous.

"... he (Vezzoso) would like to see a strip mall go in there."

This has got to be the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Everyone who has ever taken a position on Roberts Stadium, whether it be the mayor, a council member, or a nearby resident, has said the worst thing they fear is the placement of a strip mall on this location. This is a TERRIBLE idea and it would never get any support. I'm shocked beyond shocked that Vezzoso thinks a strip mall is the best option for the land. These are the same people who are put in charge of designing the ball field complex!

I firmly believe that my plan, which consists of making Roberts Stadium an indoor swimming pool, an indoor water park resort, or a botanical garden along with replanting the back parking lot, would be fully supported by the Evansville community. I challenge the ECVB and city officials to consider this plan!

"Bob Whitehouse reported that the hotels have had an extremely good year. He said he has met with the Jehovah Witnesses and that they are coming to town to talk about their convention, and they have some concerns."

I would imagine that they have several concerns with the shift to the new arena. Rumors have been abound from day 1 that they want to stay at Roberts Stadium. Why not sell them the stadium and preserve history?

"Joe Vezzoso warned the Tennis Association that they will face the same resistance that the ECVB did with the ball fields, from the neighbors, the community, and the County Council. Currently there is a tender situation at Wesselman Park. The Bureau needs to bring tourism and they have the Inn Keepers support to put heads in beds."

Sour grapes? This tells me right here that you the reader of this blog did your job. You took it upon yourself to make sure city officials heard your support for saving Roberts Stadium, and I am truly grateful to you for that. They thought they would just ram this through the council and commissions without anyone noticing until Roberts Stadium disappeared. We took a stand and now they must do the right thing and SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

As you can see, we still have a long way to go to make sure the ball fields are built at the correct site and that Roberts Stadium has a suitable purpose for it once the Aces and Co. vacate the historic grounds for the new downtown arena. I truly believe that with your support we can get this done. We must and we will SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

However, for the time being, let's celebrate this great victory!